China – Rising Asian Powerhous

By Chris Cumming

Napoleon once famously remarked, “China is a sleeping giant. Let her lie and sleep, for when she awakens she will astonish the world.” Attention world, the sleeping giant is now fully awake! First it was in trade, then technologies and now in an ever-increasing military build-up. China is truly becoming a superpower on the world stage.

For decades, Garner Ted Armstrong proclaimed, “The prophecies show that the 'men of the east' will be drawn into a gigantic conflict in the Middle East – in modern-day Israel!” He drew these words from the prophecies of Daniel and specifically Daniel 11: 40-44 where we read of a Beast power descending into the Middle East with its mighty armies conquering many nations. In verse 44 we see this Beast power concerned with opposing armies to the north and to the east…

“But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.” – Dan. 11:44

For this prophecy to unfold, we must first witness these “men of the east” attaining a level of strength for which the Beast power could find itself so troubled. Poring over a number of recent news stories, editorials and institutional papers on China, I gleaned the following kinds of phraseology:

1. A Global Power Shift in the Making


2. China is the most obvious power on the rise


3. China is rapidly developing into a global economic force


4. China is already a regional superpower, and it is in the process of becoming a world power


5. China – 21st-century giant

China is in the middle of a huge arms build-up aided, ironically, by United Europe. In one editorial I read, the EU is doing this to offset the US as being the lone superpower in the world. Berlin and Paris are, even now, moving to lift an arms embargo against Beijing in place since Tiananmen Square. If the US is forced to focus on breaking events in the Far East, such as possible war between China and Taiwan or the nuclear stand-off with North Korea, the EU could pursue its own interest and agenda unhindered by Washington.

Another indicator I found is a marked increase in China’s demand for oil. Seemingly overnight, China has gone from a five million barrel-a-day to an over eight million barrel-a-day economy. This will only exacerbate the building oil crisis in the region. It will also force a more focused attention by China on the Middle East oil reserves. China could easily find itself in an oil rivalry with the other rising superpower in the Far East, Japan.

Superpower Status

China’s superpower status is not going unnoticed in certain of the World press. Notice this from a Foreign Policy.org editorial by James Hoge, Jr., “A Global Power Shift in the Making”:

“The transfer of power from West to East is gathering pace and soon will dramatically change the context for dealing with international challenges -- as well as the challenges themselves. Many in the West are already aware of Asia's growing strength. This awareness, however, has not yet been translated into preparedness. And therein lies a danger: that Western countries will repeat their past mistakes.

“Major shifts of power between states, not to mention regions, occur infrequently and are rarely peaceful. In the early twentieth century, the imperial order and the aspiring states of Germany and Japan failed to adjust to each other. The conflict that resulted devastated large parts of the globe. Today, the transformation of the international system will be even bigger and will require the assimilation of markedly different political and cultural traditions. This time, the populous states of Asia are the aspirants seeking to play a greater role. Like Japan and Germany back then, these rising powers are nationalistic, seek redress of past grievances, and want to claim their place in the sun. Asia's growing economic power is translating into greater political and military power, thus increasing the potential damage of conflicts.”

Growing World Economy

Later, in the same editorial he states that China’s economy is expected to be double the size of Germany’s by 2010 and to overtake Japan’s, currently the world’s second largest, by 2020. I feel certain that both will take place more rapidly than Mr. Hoge’s estimate.

Still in this same editorial, he states the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are seriously considering a monetary union. The result could be an enormous trade bloc, which would account for much of Asia's -- and the world's -- economic growth. Can you imagine the impact of first the Euro and now a single Asian currency on the global economy?! Are you aware of the fact the EU has been a trading partner with ASEAN since 1980!!

In a recent on-line audio program on the Internet, “China Rising” it was stated, “Recent projections forecast that China is well on its way to becoming a superpower in manufacturing, technology, and telecommunications. It is now the world's second largest consumer of oil, and is exporting everything from TVs to DVD players to cell phones.”

Military Threat

Peter Brookes, senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation in his July 19th article, “Arming China” about Europe supplying arms and related technologies to China, stated:

“China is engaged in a major military buildup that goes far beyond its defensive needs. In the next few years, China will develop real military options for muscling its democratic neighbor Taiwan (which Beijing considers a renegade province). Down the road, China looks toward dominating Japan and Southeast Asia, too.”

We just recently ran a news story about a new Chinese aircraft-carrier-killing attack submarine that apparently caught the West totally off guard. Is it any wonder the US ran 7 of its 12 aircraft carrier groups out into the Pacific in recent weeks?

Mr. Brookes also stated:

“Ultimately, (China’s) long-term, military modernization game plan is to deter, delay or deny U.S. intervention in any Asian conflict involving China. Beyond that, (China) seeks to ultimately replace America as the preeminent military power in the Pacific.

“China is a notorious weapons proliferator — from weapons of mass destruction to small arms. Its record on export controls is abysmal. Sensitive European technology will surely fall into the hands of China's roguish friends: Iran, North Korea, Syria and Burma.

“So why are the Europeans doing this?

“Two reasons: To balance American global power and — tah dah! — to make money.
“Paris and Berlin have long pushed for a multipolar world, in which the United States' overwhelming power is balanced (read: weakened) by other power centers (i.e., poles) such as the EU, China and Russia.”

There you have it…"such as the EU, China and Russia.” These are the three predicted players in Mr. Armstrong’s predictions regarding Daniel 11:40-44. The EU is the Beast who, while conquering and occupying the Middle East, becomes troubled by the “tidings out of the east and out of the north”, China and Russia respectively.

Prophetic pieces are now falling into place! We are living through changes that may appear slow if observed from the point of view of daily headlines, but we are watching unfolding events with a global eye and a foundation of Bible prophecy where events are moving fast.. As Mr. Armstrong stated many times, “Watch!!" That is precisely what the organization he founded must do.